Much of the recent improvement activity in the field of golf has involved the use of new and increasingly more sophisticated materials in concert with advanced club-head engineering. For example, modern “wood-type” golf clubs (notably, “drivers,” “fairway woods,” and “utility or hybrid clubs”), with their sophisticated shafts and non-wooden club-heads, bear little resemblance to the “wood” drivers, low-loft long-irons, and higher numbered fairway woods used years ago. These modern wood-type clubs are generally called “metalwoods” since they tend to be made primarily of strong, lightweight metals, such as titanium.
An exemplary metalwood golf club such as a driver or fairway wood typically includes a hollow shaft having a lower end to which the club head is attached. Most modern versions of these club heads are made, at least in part, of a lightweight but strong metal such as titanium alloy. In many cases, the club head comprises a body made primarily of such strong metals.
Some current approaches to reducing structural mass of a metalwood club-head are directed to making one or more portions of the club head of an alternative material. Whereas the bodies and face plates of most current metalwoods are made of titanium alloys, some club heads are made, at least in part, of components formed from either graphite/epoxy-composite (or other suitable composite material) and a metal alloy. Graphite composites have a much lower density compared to titanium alloys, which offers an opportunity to provide more discretionary mass in the club-head.
The ability to utilize such materials to increase the discretionary mass available for placement at various points in the club-head allows for optimization of a number of physical properties of the club-head which can greatly impact the performance obtained by the user. Forgiveness on a golf shot is generally maximized by configuring the golf club head such that the center of gravity (“CG”) of the golf club head is optimally located and the moment of inertia (“MOI”) of the golf club head is maximized.
In addition to the use of various materials to optimize the strength-to-weight properties and acoustic properties of the club heads, advances have been made in the mass distribution properties provided by using thicker and thinner regions of materials, raising and lowering certain portions of the sole and crown, providing adjustable weight members and adjustable head-shaft connection assemblies, and many other club head engineering advances.